Search results for " SAVING"
showing 10 items of 167 documents
Neurosurgical post-operative complications with incidental life-saving findings
2021
Abstract Neurosurgery is one of the most complex disciplines, requiring skillfulness and ability to try to cure nervous pathologies. Despite the role of this surgery in the inviolability of life, complications are relatively likely. Complications are frustrating and they contribute to produce a wrong but physiologic guilty conscience. However, sometimes they can have a sense over the rationale. In our study, we present two examples of post-operative complications of common neurosurgical pathologies. We compared our experience with the complications reported in literature and analyzed the importance of seeing the patients in their entirety, so encouraging a mindful approach in our medical da…
Returns to Childbirth Technologies: Evidence from Preterm Births
2013
We investigate the impact of obstetrician supervision, as opposed to midwife supervision, on the short-term health of low-risk newborns. We exploit a unique policy rule in the Netherlands that creates a large discontinuity in the probability of a low-risk birth being attended by an obstetrician at gestational week 37. Using a fuzzy regression discontinuity design, we consistently find no health benefits from obstetrician supervision, despite increased rates of neonatal intensive care unit admissions among births supervised by obstetricians. These results indicate potential cost savings from increased use of midwifery care for low-risk deliveries.
Optimal savings and health spending over the life cycle
2010
This paper investigates the relationship between saving and health spending in a two-period overlapping generations economy. Individuals work in the first period of life and live in retirement in old age. Health spending is an activity that increases quality of life and longevity. Empirical evidence shows that both health spending and saving behave as luxury goods but their behaviour differs markedly according to the level of per capita GDP. The share of saving on GDP has a concave shape with respect to per capita GDP, whereas the share of health spending on GDP increases more than proportionally with respect to per capita GDP. The ratio of saving to spending is nonlinear with respect to in…
Tips and tricks in office hysteroscopy
2015
Abstract Office hysteroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that has been shown to be highly accurate in diagnosing abnormalities of the endometrial cavity and the endocervical canal. It allows the direct visualizing of uterine pathology without the need for general anesthesia and the use of an operating room, generating cost savings and greater compliance among patients. The advent of small-diameter hysteroscopes, the use of saline solution as a distension media, as well as the vaginoscopic technique have widely contributed to the diffusion of this technique worldwide, and currently it can be considered the gold standard for the examination of the uterine cavity. The improved technology…
Clinical and economic impact of infliximab one-hour infusion protocol in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases: A multicenter study
2017
AIM To assess the impact of short infliximab (IFX) infusion on hospital resource utilization and costs. METHODS All inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) patients who received IFX 1 h infusion from March 2007 to September 2014 in eight centers from Southern Italy were included in the analysis. Demographic, clinical and infusion related data were collected. The potential benefits related to the short infusion protocol were assessed both in terms of time saving and increased infusion unit capacity. In addition, indirect patient-related cost savings were evaluated. RESULTS One hundred and twenty-five patients were recruited (64 with ulcerative colitis and 61 with Crohn’s disease). Median duration …
Enabling Energy Savings in Offshore Mechatronic Systems by using Self-Contained Cylinders
2019
This paper proposes a novel actuation system for an offshore drilling application. It consists of three self-contained electro-hydraulic cylinders that can share and store regenerated energy. The energy saving potential of the proposed solution is analyzed through a multibody system simulation. The self-contained system demonstrates superior energy efficiency compared to the benchmark system representing the state-of-the-art approach used today (i.e., valve-controlled cylinders by means of pressure-compensated directional control valves and counter-balance valves, supplied by a centralized hydraulic power unit). Due to the power on demand capability, the cancellation of the throttling losse…
LA CASA EOLIANA: UN SISTEMA DI RAFFRESCAMENTO PASSIVO
2012
The Aeolian archipelago is a microcosm of traditional buildings that have retained their original character and form constructive. The special traditional technologies used and the climatic conditions of the site were also used for the application of a solution used in traditional passive systems with the aim of contributing to energy savings through the application of a particular covering of chestnut wood.
"Thermal penalty factors" accounting for site topological characteristics in pinch design of Heat Exchanger Networks
2010
Pinch analysis allows to determine targets and solutions for minimum energy requirements in process plants, basing on innovative tools like composite curves and table problem formulation, which ultimately allow generating an optimized heat exchanger network design. On another hand, this technique does not account directly for a number of factors which could play a primary role for the practical feasibility of the network. What if, for instance, once identified an optimal lay-out, we realize that some matches are hardly feasible in practice? Could we adapt the conventional pinch approach to keep into account site topological features since the preliminary design phase? In this paper the auth…
IL RETROFIT ENERGETICO. L'EDILIZIA RESIDENZIALE POST-BELLICA DI PALERMO
2015
Il patrimonio edilizio italiano è composto principalmente da costruzioni realizzate nel secondo dopoguerra, quando la speculazione economica e l'urbanizzazione hanno prodotto edifici con caratteristiche di scarsa qualità architettonica ed energetica. Agire sul rendimento energetico degli edifici esistenti, adattandoli alle caratteristiche richieste dalla normativa, a parità di condizioni di comfort, rappresenta una strategia importante per la riduzione dei consumi energetici e per la tutela dell'ambiente. Attraverso l'applicazione di tecnologie e metodologie innovative e la scelta di investimenti adeguati, il retrofit energetico può rappresentare oggi la principale opportunità di crescita i…
Opportunistic Synchronization for Improving IEEE 802.15.4 MAC Performance in Chain Topologies
2010
The most effective solution for energy saving in low-rate wireless sensor networks is maintaining each node in a doze state as long as possible. In order to guarantee network connectivity, the intervals at which the network sensors are turned on and off have to be coordinated. Therefore, synchronization is a very critical function for sensor networks. In this paper, we analyze the IEEE 802.15.4 MAC performance in sensor networks deployed in a chain topology. For this topology, critical inefficiencies can arise in case of multi-hop packet deliveries. We evaluate the impact of different synchronization schemes on the network performance, both in terms of network throughput and in terms of ene…